(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

FRSOTBITE

Local paramedics responded to many frostbite calls this winter

Feb 28, 2022 | 1:53 PM

Despite a reprieve in extreme cold temperature, winter is still here and so is the risk of frostbite.

Paramedics with Parkland Ambulance Service said they’ve responded to an average of one to two calls per week pertaining to frostbite.

However, that number could be higher not just because of the extreme cold conditions.

“Frostbite for us is coded as a soft tissue injury,” said Lyle Karasiuk with Parkland Ambulance Service. “That includes bleeding, that includes cuts, it includes a whole group of injuries.”

Despite this, Karasiuk admits frostbite has been more prevalent in the community, especially with the rough winter conditions that hit the province this season.

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“Our winter has been a challenging winter, not only with the snow, but certainly with the cold. Situations like the big storm that we had at the end of January across much of Saskatchewan where people were stranded, in some cases I heard eight, 10, 12 hours, those people can become injured and succumb to frostbite quite easily.”

Prince Albert and much of the province has endured many days of extreme cold with windchills hitting -40 Celsius or colder.

Karasiuk added it’s not just people living on the street that succumb to frostbite, it can be anybody at any time.

“We’re seeing frostbite in all walks of life and all kinds of people,” said Karasiuk. “Many of those people have been either outside for too long or because of situations like a car breaking down or being outside on a snow machine and being stranded for a while, those types of situations can lead to people having to struggle to get into warmth for a little bit of time and therefore getting frostbite.”

His recommendations are to make sure you are dressed for the weather. That means wearing winter boots, dressing in layers that include a layer to wick away moisture, a wool or fleece layer in the middle and a windproof layer outside.

Despite the calendar changing and the spring months on the way, Karasiuk advises you to not put away your winter clothing just yet.

“There’s still plenty of winter left, even though we’re heading into the March season very soon, you still can get wet and then you add wet and cold and that’s a recipe to even getting frostbite quicker.”

The seven-day forecast for Prince Albert and surrounding regions calls for temperatures around the seasonal average with just a little snow expected Thursday and Friday.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @pa_craddock